Refrigerator



Jam 14, 1941 c, F. BELsHAw 2,228,744

REFRIGERTOR Filed March 2, 1959 4 sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEYS ATTORNEY.

C. F. BELSHAW REFRIGERATOR Filed March 2. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet` 2 l Jan. 14, 1941.

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Jan. 14, 1941. c. F. BELsHAw REFRIGERATOR Filed March 2. 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Jan. 14, `1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

' improvements in details of constructionyto be hereinafter pointed out, of such character as to conserve the ice supply in such manner as to insure ya substantially u`iform temperature in the refrigerating chamber; to facilitate charging of the ice chamber either with a single large block of water-ice or with an aggregate of smaller pieces of ice;. to render various portions of the apparatus, which require frequent cleaning, to be readily removed from the structure while at the same time insuring 'against accidental displacement; to protect the ice supply from the sudden rush of warm air when the refrigerator is opened for removal or replacement in the refrigerating chamber of articles; to protect the contents of the refrigerating chamber from the inrush of warm air when the structure is opened for charging of the refrigerant chamber and to conceal the contents of the refrigerating chamber from observation by theice man; and to insure the proper intermittent discharge of the Water resulting from the melting of the ice.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Fig. 1 is a front to rear vertical section of a refrigerator embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 a vertical section at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1 ;4

Fig. 3 a horizontal section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 a section on line 4 4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 a section similar toFig.-1 showinga similar structure except that the main casing is provided with independent doors to. afford access respectively to refrigerant chamber and the refrigerating chamber, and a modied drainage line is shown.

In the drawings, I0 indicates the main shell of conventional construction, comprising internal and external metal shells II and I2 with an intermediate filling I3 of heat insulating material. In Figs. 1 and 2 the front ofthis shell is provided With an access opening I5 substantially the full height of the structure bounded by a rabbet I6 at the bottom of which is an annular tubular packing Il. The opening I5 is closed by a'door I8 provided with a. bounding `outwardly extending iiange I9 to which is secured a tubular packing 20 adapted to contact packing Il, the two packings II and 20 compressing each other,

position.

as indicated in Fig. 1, when the door ls in closed In Fig. 7, two openings I5' and I5" are pro-'- vided, one to afford access to the refrigerant chamber and the other to aiford access to the 5v refrigerating chamber, enclosed by doors I8' and I8 respectively, said doors being of the same general construction as door I8.

Near the upper end of the lntenor of the main shell I Il and extending across the rear wall of the 10 interior is a bar 25 engaging across the interior of the shell at the front, and slightly below the plane of bar 25 is a bar 26. Bar 25 is held in place by four screws 21.

Depending from bars z5 and 2s, and supported 15 thereby, is a hopper H, an intermediate portion of which is formed by downwardly and inwardly inclined imperforate metal sheets 28 forming a four-sided closed gure in horizontal section. Therear and two side portions 28, at their upper 20 ends, are extended upwardly parallel with the adjacent internal wall ofthe shell and the upper end of the portion 29 immediately adjacent the rear wall of the shell is provided with an out-turned lip 30 which rests upon bar 25. Two 25 of .the screws 21 pass only through bar 25 while the other two, conveniently the end screws (Fig. 2), pass through the portion 29 which carries the lip 30. The front plate 28, at itsupperv ends, is provided with an outwardly and upwardly in- 30 clined lip 3| which rests upon bar 26. The front ends of the side plates 29, 29 extend to about the junction between 28 and 3|. Extending downwardly from the lower edge of each part 28, and conveniently integral therewith, is a de- 35 pending plate 32 parallel to the adjacent wall of the main shell. The frontand rear plates 32 are medially notched on their under edges, and located in these notches and vextending between `the two front and rear plates 32 is an imperfo- 40 rate water shed or teeter plate 33 presenting a ridge 35 to the ice supply for purposes which will appear. The side to side extent of the water shed 33, as is indicated in Fig. 2, is somewhat v less than one-third of the internal width of the main shell and connecting each edge of the water shed with the adjacent side plate A32 is a series of laterally separated bars 36 which form two ice obstructinggrids, one at each side of the medial vertical front to rear plane of the structure, these grids being slightly downwardly inclined towardlsaid medial plane.

Sleeved within the parts 29 is av three-sided retainer I formed of sheet meta-l and U-shaped in horizontal section, .the rear wall 48 o f this 65 structure I lies against the forward face of the rear portion 29 and is perforated to receive the two end screws 21, 21 by which the structure I is held in vertical position. Each side wall of the structure I telescopes within and closely adjacent the side walls 29 of hopper H and each carries near its forward end a depending finger 4I spaced from the side wall of the structure I and adapted to be projected downwardly over the upper edge adjacent side wall 29 with finger 4I outside of said side wall, thus holding the side wall of structure I against lateral displacement, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The three sections or walls of retainer I form vertical supplements for the back and sides of the ice support.

The forward vertical edge ofeach side wall 46 of structure I is provided with a laterally spaced and rearwardly projected flange 42 (Fig. 4).

Projecting upwardly from bar 26 is a fulcrum flange 45 upon which is fulcrumed a door 46 which, in its upper normal position, serves to close the space between the forward edges of the side walls of structurel, said door, alongrits lower edge at its inner face, being provided with a depending flange 41 which, with the lower edge of the door, forms a fulcruming crotch for the reception of the fulcrum ange 45. Door 46, at each side, carries a plate, 46 which overlaps the adjacent side wall 40 of structure I. Each of these plates 46, at its lower edge near flange 41, is provided with an inwardly and upwardly turned finger 49 which, in all positions of plate 46, interdigitates with flange 42, the construction and arrangement being such that so long as the side walls 4Il of structure I are in normal position, door '46 with its side plates 46 cannot be removed from the structure although it may be freely swung on the horizontal axis formed by the upper edge of the fulcrum flange 45. Se-

cured to the inner face of each plate 46 is" a hook 50, which, by swingingmovement of door 46 may be brought to interdigitate with' flange 42 and thereby limit the outward swing of 1 door 46. The hook 59 is removably attached to plate 46 by screws 5I and may beplaced in various positions of adjustment-on plate 46as indicated by the series of screw receiving holes 52' so that the limit of outward swing of door 46 may be adjustably determined. When large block ice is used, hook 50 is so positioned that door 46 may be swung to a substantially horizontal position, while, if broken ice is\to be used, door 46 may be limited in its outward swing to an inclined position which will facilitate the flow of broken ice into the ice chamber without being spilled on the floor.

In order that the ice receptacle may be readily cleansed, the two end screws 21 maybe removed, whereupon the forward ends of the side walls of the structure may be lifted so as to withdraw hooks 4I from overlap upon the side walls 29 of the hopper H, whereupon the interdigitation of the lower endsiof flanges 412v with the fingers 49 may be destroyed so that door 46I may be readily withdrawn from the structure.

Sleeved around the lower end of hopper H is an air baille 55, rectangular in horizontal section and extending downwardly from a point. slightly above the lower edge of hopper H to a point sufficiently below the grids 66 to aiIord room for the medially perforated drip pans 51 and 56. These drip pans are provided withmedial eyes 51 and 56' respectively, defined by an upwardly extending flange, these eyes being of smaller dimensions -laterally front to rearthan the ridge carried by the side walls of the shell I6. The side walls of baille 55, above pan 51, carry inwardly projecting ledges 6I upon which pan 56 is slidably mounted, the said pan, at its front end, be

ing provided with a notched bar 62 arranged to receive the upper edge of the forward wall 51" of pan 51 when pan 56 is in operative position. The pan 56 is thus readily removable from pan 51 by the slight lifting of its forward edge, whereupon it may be drawn out of the main shell. Pan 56 receives all of the drippage from the ice, whereas pan 51 really receives the condensate from the bottom of pan 56 so that pan 56 requires more frequent cleaning than does pan 51; hence the provision of means for ready withdrawal of pan 56 from its normal association with pan 51.

'Ihe front wall 56", which extends between the front ends of the side baiiles 55 and which may be integral with pan 51, is extended 'upwardly i somewhat above the top of baille 55, as clearly shown in Fig. l, for the reason that the major' inflow of warm air occurs when the door I6 is opened, and the upward extension of the wall 59" prevents too great an inflow of warm air to the exposed ice adjacent the opening and equallzes this inflow of warm air around the entire lower end of the ice hopper.

Outflow frompan 56 is through a conduit 64 which discharges'into a conduit 65 leading from pan 51. Conduit 65 delivers into a normally fixed conduit 66 arranged within the refrigerating chamber at one side thereof and supported by the readily removable cover 61 of 'a water-seal tank 66 conveniently of a capacity in the neighborhood of a pint, and discharg through the siphon 66,

the inlet end of vwhich 'lies very close to the bottom of tank 66 and the crown of which, as indicated at 16, is so restricted that the meniscus, at the time the level of water in the tank reaches the lowermost point of thecrown, will so nearly fill the passage that another drop arriving through conduit 66 will completely fill the restricted portion of the conduit and thus start the siphonlng action. I have found that a tube having an internal diameter of 1%" to V4 at 'the crown will generally'accomplish this result,

so that intermittent siphoning vaction is insured and that drip leakage over the crown of the siphon is avoided. However, in order to insure absence of drip leakage over the crown of the siphon and toinsure adequate intermittent siphoning action, I perforate cover` 61 as indicated at 1I so that, when door I6 is closed by the usual rather sudden movement. the increase of air pressure within shell I6 will act on the surface of the water in tanlrl 66 to start the siphoning action. c

` Arranged within the refrigerating chamber below pan 51 are the shelves 15 preferably of grid construction and each having a rear bar 16 and a depending finger 11. Secured to the rear wall of shell I9 are two perforated strips 16, 16 having spaced perforations adapted to receive the upwardly projected finger 16 and rearwardly projected-finger 66 of a bracket 6I lhaving an upstanding pin 62 behind. which bar 16 of the shelf 15 may be positioned.

YIn order that the refrigeratingchamber and its contents may-be protected againstthe inflow of warm air'whe'n thesingle door of the strucfture shown in 1' and 2 is open for ice chargf ing, and in order -to hide the contents of there'- frigerating chamber from the iceman, I provide thesupplemental doors, 90 each of which is hinged at 9| at the'vertical inner edge of'opening l5, said supplemental ldoors preferably extending from a point just below the upper edge of bar 26 downwardly to the lower edge of opening l5. Each of these supplemental doors may be conveniently formed of vsheet metal. A basket is mounted upon the inner face of eachof these doors below-fthe air vbaille v55 conveniently by means of depending hooks 06,' $0 removably supported from eyes or vfingers $1 4carriedy by the inner'face ofthe supplemental door. It will be readily understood that these removable baskets 95 may be optional and that, in their absence, the shelves 15 would be extended toward the front Lof the shell |0 -to aiford maximumv storage space. I believe, however, that the provision of baskets 95 is the more economical and emcient arrange;- ment because, in a main shell of standard dimensions. the shortened shelves 15 are of such width that all the articles placed thereon may be readily observed, whereas wider shelves render the rearmost articles placed thereon Somewhat obscure. -f

lI have found it advisable to project the front wall 58 of pan-58 somewhat above the level of the side walls of-the side'and rear end wall of pan 51 for the reason that the major inilow of warm air into the structure is, of course, through the front,- even when the access doors are closed and by this upward projection of the front wall 50', I4

have been better able to equalize the effect of thecirculating air currents, in thel refrigeratingchamber, upon the refrigerant, by conduction through the walls of the refrigerant container.

When block water-ice is used as the refrigerant, the block will have horizontal dimensions slightly less than the distances between the walls 40 but greater than the distances between the walls '32l and the first charge will restat its lower edges upon the inclined walls 20. As melting proceeds, correspondingly inclined surfaces will be formed around the lower end of the icecake and the descent of the ice cake will be somewhat erratic until the lowerrend of thevcake arrives-upon the ridge 35 of the water shed or teeter plate 3l. This teeter plate will always be cooler than the walls 28 and 32,-because ofthe downwardly mov- -ing air currents through the ice of the drip pan,

and I have found in actual practice that, evenv though the-S main shell does not set perfectly"7 plumb, the ice block automatically levels itself,

in a comparatively short tim face'substantially level and supported upon the-ridge of the teeter plateand without complete annular contact between the with its upper sur-- ice block and the inclined walls `2s and with no -ice contact with the walls 32. Apparently, at all times, there -will be ice contact with one or "the v other ofthe walls 28 parallel with ridge`35 Vand apparently, vmeltage of this side ofthe block takes placev more rapidly and, in course ottime," the block automatically teeters to the other side and, as meltage continues, Vthere is repeated teetering ofthe block u'pon ridge 35. While I am not at all sure as to the accurate explanation of this phenomenon, it may be that the more rapid melting of the heavier side of the block is due to the -intimate contact ofl the heavy-side of the block assay with itsfwhole weight` 3 with the metal wall 2l, while the Opposite lightery side of the block is not in actual contact with' the metal. v

When suincient meltage has occurred to bring` the lowerend of the ice :block into contact with the bars 30 those bars melt` into the ice and fins of ice depend from the ice block, between the bars.

'I'he bars 25 'and v20 prevent circulation oi' air from the refrigerating chamber front and rear, upwardly into the refrigerant chamber and,at

- the sides', the upwardly ilowing warm air currents ycome within the iniiuence of the` cooled inclined side walls 20 so that they drop down over the side wall pan 51 andconsequently the space in the refrigerant chamber is practically a dead air space.

As a consequence of this construction. so long as there is enough ice in the refrigerant chamber to come up tothe highest level of the inclined walls 20, the refrigerating eiiiciency of ture remains substantially a constant result, ordinaryhousehold embodying my invention once in ve to eight days, erant capacity is no greater of previously kn`own constructions.

In Fig. 7, I show a modiiied drainage line.` Here the tube 55 discharging from pan 51 dis' charges into the vertical tube |00 which, neary and as ause `of a refrigerator requires reicing only although therefrigthe Stl'll- 20 than the refrigerators "25- its lower end is bent to form trap 0| discharg- 30 associated with the lower end |02 of tube |00, 3

fits tightly in the bottom of the refrigeration chamber so as to form an air seal, but otherwise is loose and readily removable. 'Ihe length of tube |00 above trap |0| is preferablyas great as possible within the limits of the refrigerator. 1 Under normal conditions `of use the 'rate `,of flow of water through trap |0| is not'suiiicient to' llg the trap so as to cause intermittent syphoning. In water-ice refrigerators practice to provide, in the drainage line', a trapopen tothe atmosphereto prevent entryof and such traps must' be intermittently cleaned 'of` sediment in order -to prevent overflow 'of vvater onto the floor of the refrigeration chamber.

In my present construction, the 'trap |0|- is not open to atmosphere within the refrigeration chamber and the height of tube |00 trap is such that, if and when the accumulation of sediment lin the trap is suilicient to prevent outow, a suiilcient head of water may accumu late in the upper and of tube y|00 to overcome the resistance 'of thesediment and to cause a' filling of the peak |05 '01" the trai. the syphonic action which is set up scour the sediment from lthe trap.

will serve to I claim as my invention: A

it has been' the general.

above the l whereupon i 1. A refrigerator,- comprisinga main shell i divided into a refrigerant chamber 'and a-refriger` ating chamber by a partially'open-bottomejd hon-` per-like structure, comprising. intermediate'its height, inwardly and downwardl'yinclined'imperforate wallsf01'111i11'8v a closed ngurein horizontal plane-and freely swept by air currents, 4

air-circulation perforation in its floor bounded by an upstanding flange, and a drainage perforation in itsnoor, and means by which it may bedetachably positioned in a refrigerator; and a toppan slidably mounted in thebottom pan over the top of the short wall thereof,v said top pan having upstanding peripheral walls, a medial'aircirculation perforation in its floor bounded by an upstanding flange, and a drainage perforation inl its floor registering with the drainage perforation of the bottom pan, and downwardly-'presented notched means horizontally interlockable with a portionof the bottom pan when the top pan is in operative position.' whereby,v byslight upward lift of the front end of the top pan it may `be, freed for sliding removal from the bottom pan.

3. In a refrigerator, a two-part drip pan, comprising a bottom pan having upstanding peripheral walls with the front wall shorter, a medial air-circulation perforation ini it`s floor bounded by an upstanding flange, and a drainage perforation in its iloor, `and means by which it may be detsohdbly positioned in a refrigerator; and ke. top pan slidably mounted in the bottom pan over the top of the short `wall thereof, said top pan having upstanding Hperipheral walls with the front wall taller'than the opposite end wall of l the bottom pan, a medial air-circulation perforamain shell and closure therefor, water-ice holding means and .water drainage means including a small-capacity'tank within the shell with its water content subject to variations of air pressure due to opening and closing ofy said closure, and a syphon eduction pipe forming the outlet of said tank, said eduction pipe having a cross-section at its peak such that when the water level in the tank approximates discharge level increase of air pressure on the tank content due to vclosing of the closure insures syphonage.

5. In o; refrigerator, the combination with the main shell, comprising a closure, at its front, of ice-supporting means mounted in the shell intervmediate its height, vertical removable Supplements for' the back and sides of said ice support, means for normally holding said supplements in place, a horizontal ridge extending across the fronts of the side supplements in the region of l the lower corners and ,inside arid independent of the closure, a door with its lower edge resting on l said ridge and a depending lip overlapping the inner face of said ridge, and overlapping elements carried respectively by said door and the side supplements preventing removal of the door but permitting swing of the door on the ridge.

6. In a refrigerator, the combination with `the main shell comprising a closurevat its front, of ice-supporting means mountedin the shell intermediate its height, a U- shaped flexible vertical supplement forthe back'andsides of said ice supassai/44 of the door but permitting swing of the door on therefrom. a two-part drip-,pan and airk baille `-support,``the bottom pan also having a short upbounded-by an upstanding flange, a drainage perport. mesns'for normally holding the lower coi'-l ners of the' free endsof said U-shaped memberv anchored inplace, a horizontal ridge extending across the mouth of the -U in the region of theanchored comers, e door with its lower edge rest- 5 Y ing on said ridge anda depending lip overlapping the inner face of the ridge, and overlapping elements carried respectively by the door andthe w anchoredcorners of the U preventing removal 77. In a refrigerator, the combination with the main shell comprising a closure at its front and anice support intermediate its height comprising inwardly converging walls and walls depending structure mounted in the shell below the ice support.l thebottom pan having opstanding peripheral side walls and a rear end wall extending above the lower edges of the depending walls of the'ice standing front wall, a medial air-circulationv perforation vwith an upstanding bounding flange, a

`drainage'perforation and means for sliding sup-,

port `of 4a tod pan; the top pan siidlngly nested 25 within the bottom pan and having upstanding peripheral walls with the front wail extending above .the lower edge of the adjacent depending wall of the ice support, the top pan also having a medial air-circulationperforation.bounded by 30 an upstanding flange, a drainage perforation registering with the drainage perforation of the bot'- tom pan, anda downwardly-presented notched means horizontally interlockable with a portion of the bottom` pan when the top pan is in operative position, whereby, by slight upward lift of the front end of the top pan it may be freed for sliding removal from the bottom pan when the clo-` sure is opened.

8. In a refrigerator, the combination with the main shell comprising a closure at its front and anice support intermediate its height comprising inwardly converging walls and walls depending therefrom, a two-part drip-pan and airA baille structure mounted in the shell below the ice supportthe`bottom pan having-upstanding peripheral side walls and a rear end wall extending above the lower edges of the depending walls of the ice support, thev bottom pan also having a short opstanding front wall, a medial air-circulationperforation with an upstanding bounding fiange.- a drainage perforation and means for sliding support of a top pan; the top pan siidlngly nested within 'the bottom pan and having up. standing peripheral walls with the front wall extending above the lower edge of the adjacent de-v pending wall of the ice support and higher than the rear wallof the bottom pan, the top pan also having a medial air-circulation perforation foratlon registering with the drainage perforation of the bottom pan, and a downwardly-presented. notched means horizontally interlookable with a portion of the bottom pan when the top pan is in operative` position, whereby, by slight upward lift- 65 of the front end of the top pan it may be freed for sliding runoval from the bottom pan when the closure is opened.

- CHARLES F. BEIBHAW. 

